Lone working and Forestry Commission

[Badgerland]

For the last 4.5 years I've been coppicing sweet chestnut within a SSSI on FC managed ground as part of their habitat management for dormice. In the past I've paid a small admin fee for the priviledge of cutting (at my own expense) otherwise unsellable coppice for which I get the material. Up until recently I've had a good relationship with the beat forester. However, everything's changed now with the appointment of a new beat forester.

 

As a rural craftsman I work alone most of the time. (Economics don't allow me to employ anybody on a regular basis.) The new bod now informs me that it's FC policy (and has been forever) to not allow any chainsaw operation when lone working. At the same time I've been told I can't operate with my compact tractor + skidding plate to extract poles. This effectively has shut me down for the time being while I await his ruling. (All contracts have been lost on the hard drive so he's awaiting copies from head office!!!)

 

Whilst I can see the sense of the FC policy regarding their own employees, as far as I'm concerned I've jumped through all the hoops regarding chainsaw tickets, first aid tickets, have a robust risk assessment, emergency policy etc.

 

I know I'm on a hiding to nothing with the FC but has anybody else had a similar thing happen? Any advice/ideas?

 

The way things are looking I'm going to have to stop cutting my own material and resort to buying in artic loads of poles from Sussex when I've got a perfectly good local supply that meets my requirements and needs cutting/using. SO much for the low carbon footprint of coppice working!?

 

ps Does anybody know of any sweet chestnut coppice (privately owned) in Wiltshire?

[Andy Collins]

Read this http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg73.pdf look into Crisys and Anserve for lone working systems. Have means of communication. Ensure you're EFAW+F trained. Modern two way radios have a "man down" alert on them, look into these. Unfortunately it's seems you have to bend over backwards to just earn a living, but that's the way these days. Hope some of this is of help.

[openspaceman]

I know I'm on a hiding to nothing with the FC but has anybody else had a similar thing happen?

 

 

I gave up with FC completely when they objected to my tractors not being CE marked around 95. Prior to that I did a bit of extraction for a harvesting company. I had negotiated thinnings directly with the beat forester but then they appointed a harvesting man to sell all their smaller parcels of timber, last I heard he had not covered his wages, let alone oncost, with the gross value of sales but this was 25 years ago. In the small broadleaved woods we were working as you say the payment had become just a token, when I started I paid 30% of the roadside price for hardwood thinnings.

 

 

ps Does anybody know of any sweet chestnut coppice (privately owned) in Wiltshire?

 

I suppose you know Jonathan Howe near Andover? He was always very helpful to me.

[Spruce Pirate]

Sorry no help from here. As far as I know FC will not, under any circumstances, accept lone working with chainsaw, no matter what safety systems you have in place and what 1st Aid certs you have. Doesn't matter whether you're employed by them, working as a contractor, sub-contractor, as a volunteer or anything else. If you're on their ground and want to use a saw you need NPTC's, PLI and at least two of you (second person does not have to be a saw operator, so long as they are there). All machine operators need to be FMOC'd. No exceptions, no relaxations, no nothing, right or wrong that's the way it is.

 

Really sorry to hear that its putting a small rural enterprise out of business, but I'm not surprised that you're in this situation. Despite all the promises of supporting local enterprise etc, the FC will almost always fall back on a rigid set of rules which are much easier adhered to by the big players than the local small guy.

 

Take your wife, take someone who's retired in the local village and looking for something to fill the time. So long as they're on site and capable of dialing 999 and communicating with the emergency services they will do!

[Brushcutter]

Your always going to need a second person there with the FC. They'll more than likely have to have a +F 1st air certificate too. I also hope you have your FMOC for extraction work or they'll have a tantrum about that too.

[Badgerland]

Thanks guys. As I thought, I'm up against a hiding to nothing but it was worth putting it out there just in case anybody had a lifeline.

 

Looks like my environmentally friendly/low impact business is just going to have to buy in a lorry load of timber - from 2 counties away - off a bod who's already given the FC clear instructions where they can store their rules of engagement! (Unlike him though, I don't have the luxury of access to around a thousand acres of top quality chestnut coppice on private estates. Its rarer than left handed hens-teeth in Wiltshire!)

 

Bring on the revolution!!!

[bobh]

Get this story in the local paper, just the sort of thing they like, and play on the environmental side of things. Probably won't do any good but it will be free advertising at least.

At least that way you may get some extra sales out of it.

[Quickthorn]

 

I know I'm on a hiding to nothing with the FC but has anybody else had a similar thing happen? Any advice/ideas?

 

 

This seems to be typical of the FC. I've seen similar behaviour from beat foresters and their sidekicks, who seem to go out of their way to be awkward and vindictive.

 

I got the chance to cut some hazel on FC land once. I was told lone working with a chainsaw was out, but I'd have been able to work on my own with hand tools or a clearing saw (it was a few years ago, so perhaps they've clamped down on that, too).

 

My only advice to small contractors, based on my experience, is don't get in too deep with the FC, because there's a high chance that they'll pull the rug from under you when you least need it.

[openspaceman]

Thanks guys. As I thought, I'm up against a hiding to nothing but it was worth putting it out there just in case anybody had a lifeline.

 

 

What I should have mentioned is that I would not have been living the last 15 years had I been lone person working because of a freak, but avoidable, mishap.

[eddiegts]

I am just about to start crown raising a mile of trees using a pole saw and the FC said No long working you must have a guy with you at all times.